Mechanisms for compensating for drivetrain failure in powered surgical instruments

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for affecting tissue includes an end effector configured to interact with a tissue. The apparatus further includes a surgical instrument that includes one or more drivetrains configured to drive a plurality of gear components in order to perform operations of the surgical instrument, and one or more vibration sensors positioned relative to the one or more drivetrains of the surgical instrument to sense and record vibration information from the one or more drivetrains of the surgical instrument, wherein the one or more vibration sensors are configured to generate an output signal based on the vibration information for comparison to predetermined threshold values to determine a status of the surgical instrument.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is related to commonly-owned and concurrently filedU.S. application referenced under Attorney Docket No. END7794USNP/150508and titled MECHANISMS FOR DETECTING DRIVETRAIN FAILURE IN POWEREDSURGICAL INSTRUMENTS, U.S. application referenced under Attorney DocketNo. END7795USNP/150509 and titled MECHANISMS FOR DETECTING DRIVETRAINFAILURE IN POWERED SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS, U.S. application referencedunder Attorney Docket No. END7796USNP/150510 and titled MECHANISMS FORDETECTING DRIVETRAIN FAILURE IN POWERED SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS, each ofwhich is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Commonly owned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/984,488 and titledMECHANISMS FOR COMPENSATING FOR BATTERY PACK FAILURE IN POWERED SURGICALINSTRUMENTS, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/984,552 and titledSURGICAL INSTRUMENTS WITH SEPARABLE MOTORS AND MOTOR CONTROL CIRCUITSand U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/984,525 and titled MECHANISMSFOR COMPENSATING FOR DRIVETRAIN FAILURE IN POWERED SURGICAL INSTRUMENTSare also incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to surgical instruments and, in variousarrangements, to surgical stapling and cutting instruments and staplecartridges for use therewith that are designed to staple and cut tissue.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The features of the various aspects are set forth with particularity inthe appended claims. The various aspects, however, both as toorganization and methods of operation, together with advantages thereof,may best be understood by reference to the following description, takenin conjunction with the accompanying drawings as follows:

FIG. 1 is a perspective, disassembled view of an electromechanicalsurgical system including a surgical instrument, an adapter, and an endeffector, according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the surgical instrument of FIG. 1,according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is perspective, exploded view of the surgical instrument of FIG.1, according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a battery of the surgical instrument ofFIG. 1, according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a top, partially-disassembled view of the surgical instrumentof FIG. 1, according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a front, perspective view of the surgical instrument of FIG. 1with the adapter separated therefrom, according to at least one aspectof the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 is a side, cross-sectional view of the surgical instrument ofFIG. 1, as taken through 7-7 of FIG. 2, according to at least one aspectof the present disclosure;

FIG. 8 is a top, cross-sectional view of the surgical instrument of FIG.1, as taken through 8-8 of FIG. 2, according to at least one aspect ofthe present disclosure;

FIG. 9 is a perspective, exploded view of a end effector of FIG. 1,according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 10A is a top view of a locking member, according to at least oneaspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 10B is a perspective view of the locking member of FIG. 10A,according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of the surgical instrument of FIG. 1,according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view, with parts separated, of anelectromechanical surgical system, according to at least one aspect ofthe present disclosure;

FIG. 13 is a rear, perspective view of a shaft assembly and a poweredsurgical instrument, of the electromechanical surgical system of FIG.12, illustrating a connection therebetween, according to at least aspectof the present disclosure;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view, with parts separated, of the shaftassembly of FIG. 13, according to at least aspect of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 15 is a perspective view, with parts separated of a transmissionhousing of the shaft assembly of FIG. 13, according to at least aspectof the present disclosure;

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a first gear train system that issupported in the transmission housing of FIG. 15, according to at leastaspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a second gear train system that issupported in the transmission housing of FIG. 15, according to at leastaspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a third drive shaft that is supportedin the transmission housing of FIG. 15, according to at least aspect ofthe present disclosure;

FIG. 19 is a perspective view of a surgical instrument, according to atleast one aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 20 is a circuit diagram of various components of the surgicalinstrument of FIG. 19, according to at least one aspect of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 21 is a circuit diagram including a microphone in communicationwith a plurality of filters coupled to a plurality of logic gates inaccordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 22 is a graph of a microphone's output in volts versus time inseconds, the graph representing is a vibratory response of a properlyfunctioning surgical instrument of FIG. 19 recorded by the microphoneduring operation of the surgical instrument in accordance with at leastone aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 22A is a filtered signal of the microphone output of FIG. 22 inaccordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 23 is a graph of a microphone's output in volts versus time inseconds, the graph representing is a vibratory response of amalfunctioning surgical instrument of FIG. 19 recorded by the microphoneduring operation of the surgical instrument in accordance with at leastone aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 23A is a filtered signal of the microphone output of FIG. 23 inaccordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 24 is a circuit diagram including a sensor of the surgicalinstrument of FIG. 19 coupled to a plurality of filters in communicationwith a microcontroller via a multiplexer and an analogue to digitalconverter in accordance with at least one aspect of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 24A is a circuit diagram including a sensor of the surgicalinstrument of FIG. 19 coupled to a plurality of filters in communicationwith a microcontroller via a multiplexer and an analogue to digitalconverter in accordance with at least one aspect of the presentdisclosure;

FIGS. 24B-24D illustrate structural and operational characteristics of aBand-pass filter of the surgical instrument of FIG. 19 in accordancewith at least one aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 25 is graph representing a filtered signal of a sensor output ofthe surgical instrument of FIG. 19 in accordance with at least oneaspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 26 is a graph representing a processed signal of a sensor output ofthe surgical instrument of FIG. 19 in accordance with at least oneaspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 27 is a graph representing the force needed to fire (FTF) thesurgical instrument of FIG. 19 in relation to a displacement position ofa drive assembly of the surgical instrument from a starting position inaccordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 28 is a graph representing the velocity of a drive assembly of thesurgical instrument of FIG. 19, during a firing stroke, in relation tothe displacement position of the drive assembly from a starting positionin accordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 29 is a graph that represents acceptable limit modification basedon zone of stroke location during a firing stroke of the surgicalinstrument of FIG. 19 in accordance with at least one aspect of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 30 is a graph that represents a processed signal of the output of asensor of the surgical instrument of FIG. 19 showing a shift in thefrequency response of the processed signal due to load and velocitychanges experienced by a drive assembly during a firing stroke inaccordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 31 is a graph that represents a processed signal of vibrationscaptured by a sensor of the surgical instrument of FIG. 19 during a zoneof operation, the graph illustrating and acceptable limit, marginallimit, and critical limit for the zone of operation in accordance withat least one aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 32 is a logic diagram of the surgical instrument of FIG. 19 inaccordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 33 is a graph that represents a processed signal of vibrationscaptured by a sensor of the surgical instrument of FIG. 19 in accordancewith at least one aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 34 is a graph that represents a processed signal of vibrationscaptured by a sensor of the surgical instrument of FIG. 19 in accordancewith at least one aspect of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 35 is a graph that represents a processed signal of vibrationscaptured by a sensor of the surgical instrument of FIG. 19 in accordancewith at least one aspect of the present disclosure.

DESCRIPTION

Before explaining various forms of mechanisms for compensating fordrivetrain failure in powered surgical instruments in detail, it shouldbe noted that the illustrative forms are not limited in application oruse to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustratedin the accompanying drawings and description. The illustrative forms maybe implemented or incorporated in other forms, variations andmodifications, and may be practiced or carried out in various ways.Further, unless otherwise indicated, the terms and expressions employedherein have been chosen for the purpose of describing the illustrativeforms for the convenience of the reader and are not for the purpose oflimitation thereof.

Further, it is understood that any one or more of thefollowing-described forms, expressions of forms, examples, can becombined with any one or more of the other following-described forms,expressions of forms, and examples.

Various forms are directed to mechanisms for compensating for drivetrainfailure in powered surgical instruments. In one form, the mechanisms forcompensating for drivetrain failure in powered surgical instruments maybe configured for use in open surgical procedures, but has applicationsin other types of surgery, such as laparoscopic, endoscopic, androbotic-assisted procedures.

FIGS. 1-18 depict various aspects of a surgical system that is generallydesignated as 10, and is in the form of a powered hand heldelectromechanical instrument configured for selective attachment theretoof a plurality of different end effectors that are each configured foractuation and manipulation by the powered hand held electromechanicalsurgical instrument. The aspects of FIGS. 1-18 are disclosed in U.S.Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0110453, filed Oct. 23, 2012,and titled SURGICAL INSTRUMENT WITH RAPID POST EVENT DETECTION, U.S.Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0282052, filed Jun. 19, 2013,and titled APPARATUS FOR ENDOSCOPIC PROCEDURES, and U.S. PatentApplication Publication No. 2013/0274722, filed May 10, 2013, and titledAPPARATUS FOR ENDOSCOPIC PROCEDURES.

Referring to FIGS. 1-3, a surgical instrument 100 is configured forselective connection with an adapter 200, and, in turn, adapter 200 isconfigured for selective connection with an end effector or single useloading unit or reload 300. As illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, the surgicalinstrument 100 includes a handle housing 102 having a lower housingportion 104, an intermediate housing portion 106 extending from and/orsupported on lower housing portion 104, and an upper housing portion 108extending from and/or supported on intermediate housing portion 106.Intermediate housing portion 106 and upper housing portion 108 areseparated into a distal half-section 110 a that is integrally formedwith and extending from the lower portion 104, and a proximalhalf-section 110 b connectable to distal half-section 110 a by aplurality of fasteners. When joined, distal and proximal half-sections110 a, 110 b define a handle housing 102 having a cavity 102 a thereinin which a circuit board 150 and a drive mechanism 160 is situated.

Distal and proximal half-sections 110 a, 110 b are divided along a planethat traverses a longitudinal axis “X” of upper housing portion 108, asseen in FIGS. 2 and 3. Handle housing 102 includes a gasket 112extending completely around a rim of distal half-section and/or proximalhalf-section 110 a, 110 b and being interposed between distalhalf-section 110 a and proximal half-section 110 b. Gasket 112 seals theperimeter of distal half-section 110 a and proximal half-section 110 b.Gasket 112 functions to establish an air-tight seal between distalhalf-section 110 a and proximal half-section 110 b such that circuitboard 150 and drive mechanism 160 are protected from sterilizationand/or cleaning procedures.

In this manner, the cavity 102 a of handle housing 102 is sealed alongthe perimeter of distal half-section 110 a and proximal half-section 110b yet is configured to enable easier, more efficient assembly of circuitboard 150 and a drive mechanism 160 in handle housing 102.

Intermediate housing portion 106 of handle housing 102 provides ahousing in which circuit board 150 is situated. Circuit board 150 isconfigured to control the various operations of surgical instrument 100.

Lower housing portion 104 of surgical instrument 100 defines an aperture(not shown) formed in an upper surface thereof and which is locatedbeneath or within intermediate housing portion 106. The aperture oflower housing portion 104 provides a passage through which wires 152pass to electrically interconnect electrical components (a battery 156,as illustrated in FIG. 4, a circuit board 154, as illustrated in FIG. 3,etc.) situated in lower housing portion 104 with electrical components(circuit board 150, drive mechanism 160, etc.) situated in intermediatehousing portion 106 and/or upper housing portion 108.

Handle housing 102 includes a gasket 103 disposed within the aperture oflower housing portion 104 (not shown) thereby plugging or sealing theaperture of lower housing portion 104 while allowing wires 152 to passtherethrough. Gasket 103 functions to establish an air-tight sealbetween lower housing portion 106 and intermediate housing portion 108such that circuit board 150 and drive mechanism 160 are protected fromsterilization and/or cleaning procedures.

As shown, lower housing portion 104 of handle housing 102 provides ahousing in which a rechargeable battery 156, is removably situated.Battery 156 is configured to supply power to any of the electricalcomponents of surgical instrument 100. Lower housing portion 104 definesa cavity (not shown) into which battery 156 is inserted. Lower housingportion 104 includes a door 105 pivotally connected thereto for closingcavity of lower housing portion 104 and retaining battery 156 therein.

With reference to FIGS. 3 and 5, distal half-section 110 a of upperhousing portion 108 defines a nose or connecting portion 108 a. A nosecone 114 is supported on nose portion 108 a of upper housing portion108. Nose cone 114 is fabricated from a transparent material. A feedbackindicator such as, for example, an illumination member 116 is disposedwithin nose cone 114 such that illumination member 116 is visibletherethrough. Illumination member 116 is may be a light emitting diodeprinted circuit board (LED PCB). Illumination member 116 is configuredto illuminate multiple colors with a specific color pattern beingassociated with a unique discrete event.

Upper housing portion 108 of handle housing 102 provides a housing inwhich drive mechanism 160 is situated. As illustrated in FIG. 5, drivemechanism 160 is configured to drive shafts and/or gear components inorder to perform the various operations of surgical instrument 100. Inparticular, drive mechanism 160 is configured to drive shafts and/orgear components in order to selectively move tool assembly 304 of endeffector 300 (see FIGS. 1 and 9) relative to proximal body portion 302of end effector 300, to rotate end effector 300 about a longitudinalaxis “X” (see FIG. 2) relative to handle housing 102, to move anvilassembly 306 relative to cartridge assembly 308 of end effector 300,and/or to fire a stapling and cutting cartridge within cartridgeassembly 308 of end effector 300.

The drive mechanism 160 includes a selector gearbox assembly 162 that islocated immediately proximal relative to adapter 200. Proximal to theselector gearbox assembly 162 is a function selection module 163 havinga first motor 164 that functions to selectively move gear elementswithin the selector gearbox assembly 162 into engagement with an inputdrive component 165 having a second motor 166.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1-4, and as mentioned above, distal half-section110 a of upper housing portion 108 defines a connecting portion 108 aconfigured to accept a corresponding drive coupling assembly 210 ofadapter 200.

As illustrated in FIGS. 6-8, connecting portion 108 a of surgicalinstrument 100 has a cylindrical recess 108 b that receives a drivecoupling assembly 210 of adapter 200 when adapter 200 is mated tosurgical instrument 100. Connecting portion 108 a houses three rotatabledrive connectors 118, 120, 122.

When adapter 200 is mated to surgical instrument 100, each of rotatabledrive connectors 118, 120, 122 of surgical instrument 100 couples with acorresponding rotatable connector sleeve 218, 220, 222 of adapter 200 asshown in FIG. 6. In this regard, the interface between correspondingfirst drive connector 118 and first connector sleeve 218, the interfacebetween corresponding second drive connector 120 and second connectorsleeve 220, and the interface between corresponding third driveconnector 122 and third connector sleeve 222 are keyed such thatrotation of each of drive connectors 118, 120, 122 of surgicalinstrument 100 causes a corresponding rotation of the correspondingconnector sleeve 218, 220, 222 of adapter 200.

The mating of drive connectors 118, 120, 122 of surgical instrument 100with connector sleeves 218, 220, 222 of adapter 200 allows rotationalforces to be independently transmitted via each of the three respectiveconnector interfaces. The drive connectors 118, 120, 122 of surgicalinstrument 100 are configured to be independently rotated by drivemechanism 160. In this regard, the function selection module 163 ofdrive mechanism 160 selects which drive connector or connectors 118,120, 122 of surgical instrument 100 is to be driven by the input drivecomponent 165 of drive mechanism 160.

Since each of drive connectors 118, 120, 122 of surgical instrument 100has a keyed and/or substantially non-rotatable interface with respectiveconnector sleeves 218, 220, 222 of adapter 200, when adapter 200 iscoupled to surgical instrument 100, rotational force(s) are selectivelytransferred from drive mechanism 160 of surgical instrument 100 toadapter 200.

The selective rotation of drive connector(s) 118, 120 and/or 122 ofsurgical instrument 100 allows surgical instrument 100 to selectivelyactuate different functions of end effector 300. Selective andindependent rotation of first drive connector 118 of surgical instrument100 corresponds to the selective and independent opening and closing oftool assembly 304 of end effector 300, and driving of a stapling/cuttingcomponent of tool assembly 304 of end effector 300. Also, the selectiveand independent rotation of second drive connector 120 of surgicalinstrument 100 corresponds to the selective and independent articulationof tool assembly 304 of end effector 300 transverse to longitudinal axis“X” (see FIG. 2). Additionally, the selective and independent rotationof third drive connector 122 of surgical instrument 100 corresponds tothe selective and independent rotation of end effector 300 aboutlongitudinal axis “X” (see FIG. 2) relative to handle housing 102 ofsurgical instrument 100.

As mentioned above and as illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 8, drive mechanism160 includes a selector gearbox assembly 162; and a function selectionmodule 163, located proximal to the selector gearbox assembly 162, thatfunctions to selectively move gear elements within the selector gearboxassembly 162 into engagement with second motor 166. Thus, drivemechanism 160 selectively drives one of drive connectors 118, 120, 122of surgical instrument 100 at a given time.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, handle housing 102 supports a controlassembly 107 on a distal surface or side of intermediate housing portion108. The control assembly 107 is a fully-functional mechanicalsubassembly that can be assembled and tested separately from the rest ofthe instrument 100 prior to coupling thereto.

Control assembly 107, in cooperation with intermediate housing portion108, supports a pair of finger-actuated control buttons 124, 126 and apair rocker devices 128, 130 within a housing 107 a. The control buttons124, 126 are coupled to extension shafts 125, 127 respectively. Inparticular, control assembly 107 defines an upper aperture 124 a forslidably receiving the extension shaft 125, and a lower aperture 126 afor slidably receiving the extension shaft 127.

The control assembly 107 and its components (e.g., control buttons 124,126 and rocker devices 128, 130) my be formed from low friction,self-lubricating, lubricious plastics or materials or coatings coveringthe moving components to reduce actuation forces, key component wear,elimination of galling, smooth consistent actuation, improved componentand assembly reliability and reduced clearances for a tighter fit andfeel consistency. This includes the use of plastic materials in thebushings, rocker journals, plunger bushings, spring pockets, retainingrings and slider components. Molding the components in plastic alsoprovides net-shape or mesh-shaped components with all of theseperformance attributes. Plastic components eliminate corrosion andbi-metal anodic reactions under electrolytic conditions such asautoclaving, steam sterilizations and cleaning Press fits withlubricious plastics and materials also eliminate clearances with minimalstrain or functional penalties on the components when compared tosimilar metal components.

Suitable materials for forming the components of the control assembly107 include, but are not limited to, polyamines, polyphenylene sulfides,polyphthalamides, polyphenylsulfones, polyether ketones,polytetrafluoroethylenes, and combinations thereof. These components maybe used in the presence or absence of lubricants and may also includeadditives for reduced wear and frictional forces.

Reference may be made to a U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/331,047,now U.S. Pat. No. 8,968,276, the entire contents of which areincorporated by reference herein, for a detailed discussion of theconstruction and operation of the surgical instrument 100.

The surgical instrument 100 includes a firing assembly configured todeploy or eject a plurality of staples into tissue captured by the endeffector 300. The firing assembly comprises a drive assembly 360, asillustrated in FIG. 9. The drive assembly 360 includes a flexible drivebeam 364 having a distal end which is secured to a dynamic clampingmember 365, and a proximal engagement section 368. Engagement section368 includes a stepped portion defining a shoulder 370. A proximal endof engagement section 368 includes diametrically opposed inwardlyextending fingers 372. Fingers 372 engage a hollow drive member 374 tofixedly secure drive member 374 to the proximal end of beam 364. Drivemember 374 defines a proximal porthole 376 a which receives a connectionmember of drive tube 246 (FIG. 1) of adapter 200 when end effector 300is attached to distal coupling 230 of adapter 200.

When drive assembly 360 is advanced distally within tool assembly 304,an upper beam 365 a of clamping member 365 moves within a channeldefined between anvil plate 312 and anvil cover 310 and a lower beam 365b moves over the exterior surface of carrier 316 to close tool assembly304 and fire staples therefrom.

Proximal body portion 302 of end effector 300 includes a sheath or outertube 301 enclosing an upper housing portion 301 a and a lower housingportion 301 b. The housing portions 301 a and 301 b enclose anarticulation link 366 having a hooked proximal end 366 a which extendsfrom a proximal end of end effector 300. Hooked proximal end 366 a ofarticulation link 366 engages a coupling hook (not shown) of adapter 200when end effector 300 is secured to distal housing 232 of adapter 200.When drive bar 258 of adapter 200 is advanced or retracted as describedabove, articulation link 366 of end effector 300 is advanced orretracted within end effector 300 to pivot tool assembly 304 in relationto a distal end of proximal body portion 302.

As illustrated in FIG. 9 above, cartridge assembly 308 of tool assembly304 includes a staple cartridge 305 supportable in carrier 316. Thecartridge can be permanently installed in the end effector 300 or can bearranged so as to be removable and replaceable. Staple cartridge 305defines a central longitudinal slot 305 a, and three linear rows ofstaple retention slots 305 b positioned on each side of longitudinalslot 305 a. Each of staple retention slots 305 b receives a singlestaple 307 and a portion of a staple pusher 309. During operation ofinstrument 100, drive assembly 360 abuts an actuation sled and pushesactuation sled through cartridge 305. As the actuation sled movesthrough cartridge 305, cam wedges of the actuation sled sequentiallyengage staple pushers 309 to move staple pushers 309 vertically withinstaple retention slots 305 b and sequentially eject staples 307therefrom for formation against anvil plate 312.

The hollow drive member 374 includes a lockout mechanism 373 thatprevents a firing of previously fired end effectors 300. The lockoutmechanism 373 includes a locking member 371 pivotally coupled within adistal porthole 376 b via a pin 377, such that locking member 371 ispivotal about pin 377 relative to drive member 374.

With reference to FIGS. 10A and 10B, locking member 371 defines achannel 379 formed between elongate glides 381 and 383. Web 385 joins aportion of the upper surfaces of glides 381 and 383. Web 385 isconfigured and dimensioned to fit within the porthole 376 b of the drivemember 374. Horizontal ledges 389 and 391 extend from glides 381 and 383respectively. As best shown in FIG. 9, a spring 393 is disposed withinthe drive member 374 and engages horizontal ledge 389 and/or horizontalledge 391 to bias locking member 371 downward.

In operation, the locking member 371 is initially disposed in itspre-fired position at the proximal end of the housing portions 301 a and301 b with horizontal ledge 389 and 391 resting on top of projections303 a, 303 b formed in the sidewalls of housing portion 301 b. In thisposition, locking member 371 is held up and out of alignment with aprojection 303 c formed in the bottom surface of housing portion 301 b,distal of the projection 303 a, 303 b, and web 385 is in longitudinaljuxtaposition with shoulder 370 defined in drive beam 364. Thisconfiguration permits the anvil 306 to be opened and repositioned ontothe tissue to be stapled until the surgeon is satisfied with theposition without activating locking member 371 to disable the disposableend effector 300.

Upon distal movement of the drive beam 364 by the drive tube 246,locking member 371 rides off of projections 303 a, 303 b and is biasedinto engagement with housing portion 301 b by the spring 393, distal ofprojection 303 c. Locking member 371 remains in this configurationthroughout firing of the apparatus.

Upon retraction of the drive beam 364, after at least a partial firing,locking member 371 passes under projections 303 a, 303 b and rides overprojection 303 c of housing portion 301 b until the distal-most portionof locking member 371 is proximal to projection 303 c. The spring 393biases locking member 371 into juxtaposed alignment with projection 303c, effectively disabling the disposable end effector. When an attempt ismade to reactuate the apparatus, loaded with the existing end effector300, the locking member 371 will abut projection 303 c of housingportion 301 b and will inhibit distal movement of the drive beam 364.

Another aspect of the instrument 100 is shown in FIG. 11. The instrument100 includes the motor 164. The motor 164 may be any electrical motorconfigured to actuate one or more drives (e.g., rotatable driveconnectors 118, 120, 122 of FIG. 6). The motor 164 is coupled to thebattery 156, which may be a DC battery (e.g., rechargeable lead-based,nickel-based, lithium-ion based, battery etc.), an AC/DC transformer, orany other power source suitable for providing electrical energy to themotor 164.

The battery 156 and the motor 164 are coupled to a motor driver circuit404 disposed on the circuit board 154 which controls the operation ofthe motor 164 including the flow of electrical energy from the battery156 to the motor 164. The driver circuit 404 includes a plurality ofsensors 408 a, 408 b, . . . 408 n configured to measure operationalstates of the motor 164 and the battery 156. The sensors 408 a-n mayinclude voltage sensors, current sensors, temperature sensors, pressuresensors, telemetry sensors, optical sensors, and combinations thereof.The sensors 408 a-408 n may measure voltage, current, and otherelectrical properties of the electrical energy supplied by the battery156. The sensors 408 a-408 n may also measure rotational speed asrevolutions per minute (RPM), torque, temperature, current draw, andother operational properties of the motor 164. RPM may be determined bymeasuring the rotation of the motor 164. Position of various driveshafts (e.g., rotatable drive connectors 118, 120, 122 of FIG. 6) may bedetermined by using various linear sensors disposed in or in proximityto the shafts or extrapolated from the RPM measurements. In aspects,torque may be calculated based on the regulated current draw of themotor 164 at a constant RPM. In further aspects, the driver circuit 404and/or the controller 406 may measure time and process theabove-described values as a function thereof, including integrationand/or differentiation, e.g., to determine rate of change of themeasured values and the like.

The driver circuit 404 is also coupled to a controller 406, which may beany suitable logic control circuit adapted to perform the calculationsand/or operate according to a set of instructions. The controller 406may include a central processing unit operably connected to a memorywhich may include transitory type memory (e.g., RAM) and/ornon-transitory type memory (e.g., flash media, disk media, etc.). Thecontroller 406 includes a plurality of inputs and outputs forinterfacing with the driver circuit 404. In particular, the controller406 receives measured sensor signals from the driver circuit 404regarding operational status of the motor 164 and the battery 156 and,in turn, outputs control signals to the driver circuit 404 to controlthe operation of the motor 164 based on the sensor readings and specificalgorithm instructions. The controller 406 is also configured to accepta plurality of user inputs from a user interface (e.g., switches,buttons, touch screen, etc. of the control assembly 107 coupled to thecontroller 406). A removable memory card or chip may be provided, ordata can be downloaded wirelessly.

Referring to FIG. 12-18, a surgical system 10′ is depicted. The surgicalsystem 10′ is similar in many respects to the surgical system 10. Forexample, the surgical system 10′ includes the surgical instrument 100.Upper housing portion 108 of instrument housing 102 defines a nose orconnecting portion 108 a configured to accept a corresponding shaftcoupling assembly 514 of a transmission housing 512 of a shaft assembly500 that is similar in many respects to the shaft assembly 200.

The shaft assembly 500 has a force transmitting assembly forinterconnecting the at least one drive member of the surgical instrumentto at least one rotation receiving member of the end effector. The forcetransmitting assembly has a first end that is connectable to the atleast one rotatable drive member and a second end that is connectable tothe at least one rotation receiving member of the end effector. Whenshaft assembly 500 is mated to surgical instrument 100, each ofrotatable drive members or connectors 118, 120, 122 of surgicalinstrument 100 couples with a corresponding rotatable connector sleeve518, 520, 522 of shaft assembly 500 (see FIGS. 13 and 15). In thisregard, the interface between corresponding first drive member orconnector 118 and first connector sleeve 518, the interface betweencorresponding second drive member or connector 120 and second connectorsleeve 520, and the interface between corresponding third drive memberor connector 122 and third connector sleeve 522 are keyed such thatrotation of each of drive members or connectors 118, 120, 122 ofsurgical instrument 100 causes a corresponding rotation of thecorresponding connector sleeve 518, 520, 522 of shaft assembly 500.

The selective rotation of drive member(s) or connector(s) 118, 120and/or 122 of surgical instrument 100 allows surgical instrument 100 toselectively actuate different functions of an end effector 400.

Referring to FIGS. 12 and 14, the shaft assembly 500 includes anelongate, substantially rigid, outer tubular body 510 having a proximalend 510 a and a distal end 510 b and a transmission housing 212connected to proximal end 210 a of tubular body 510 and being configuredfor selective connection to surgical instrument 100. In addition, theshaft assembly 500 further includes an articulating neck assembly 530connected to distal end 510 b of elongate body portion 510.

Transmission housing 512 is configured to house a pair of gear trainsystems therein for varying a speed/force of rotation (e.g., increase ordecrease) of first, second and/or third rotatable drive members orconnectors 118, 120, and/or 122 of surgical instrument 100 beforetransmission of such rotational speed/force to the end effector 501. Asseen in FIG. 15, transmission housing 512 and shaft coupling assembly514 rotatably support a first proximal or input drive shaft 524 a, asecond proximal or input drive shaft 526 a, and a third drive shaft 528.

Shaft drive coupling assembly 514 includes a first, a second and a thirdbiasing member 518 a, 520 a and 522 a disposed distally of respectivefirst, second and third connector sleeves 518, 520, 522. Each of biasingmembers 518 a, 520 a and 522 a is disposed about respective firstproximal drive shaft 524 a, second proximal drive shaft 526 a, and thirddrive shaft 228. Biasing members 518 a, 520 a and 522 a act onrespective connector sleeves 518, 520 and 522 to help maintain connectorsleeves 218, 220 and 222 engaged with the distal end of respective driverotatable drive members or connectors 118, 120, 122 of surgicalinstrument 100 when shaft assembly 500 is connected to surgicalinstrument 100.

Shaft assembly 500 includes a first and a second gear train system 540,550, respectively, disposed within transmission housing 512 and tubularbody 510, and adjacent coupling assembly 514. As mentioned above, eachgear train system 540, 550 is configured and adapted to vary aspeed/force of rotation (e.g., increase or decrease) of first and secondrotatable drive connectors 118 and 120 of surgical instrument 100 beforetransmission of such rotational speed/force to end effector 501.

As illustrated in FIGS. 15 and 16, first gear train system 540 includesfirst input drive shaft 524 a, and a first input drive shaft spur gear542 a keyed to first input drive shaft 524 a. First gear train system540 also includes a first transmission shaft 544 rotatably supported intransmission housing 512, a first input transmission spur gear 544 akeyed to first transmission shaft 544 and engaged with first input driveshaft spur gear 542 a, and a first output transmission spur gear 544 bkeyed to first transmission shaft 544. First gear train system 540further includes a first output drive shaft 546 a rotatably supported intransmission housing 512 and tubular body 510, and a first output driveshaft spur gear 546 b keyed to first output drive shaft 546 a andengaged with first output transmission spur gear 544 b.

In at least one instance, the first input drive shaft spur gear 542 aincludes 10 teeth; first input transmission spur gear 544 a includes 18teeth; first output transmission spur gear 544 b includes 13 teeth; andfirst output drive shaft spur gear 546 b includes 15 teeth. As soconfigured, an input rotation of first input drive shaft 524 a isconverted to an output rotation of first output drive shaft 546 a by aratio of 1:2.08.

In operation, as first input drive shaft spur gear 542 a is rotated, dueto a rotation of first connector sleeve 558 and first input drive shaft524 a, as a result of the rotation of the first respective driveconnector 118 of surgical instrument 100, first input drive shaft spurgear 542 a engages first input transmission spur gear 544 a causingfirst input transmission spur gear 544 a to rotate. As first inputtransmission spur gear 544 a rotates, first transmission shaft 544 isrotated and thus causes first output drive shaft spur gear 546 b, thatis keyed to first transmission shaft 544, to rotate. As first outputdrive shaft spur gear 546 b rotates, since first output drive shaft spurgear 546 b is engaged therewith, first output drive shaft spur gear 546b is also rotated. As first output drive shaft spur gear 546 b rotates,since first output drive shaft spur gear 546 b is keyed to first outputdrive shaft 546 a, first output drive shaft 546 a is rotated.

The shaft assembly 500, including the first gear system 540, functionsto transmit operative forces from surgical instrument 100 to endeffector 501 in order to operate, actuate and/or fire end effector 501.

As illustrated in FIGS. 15 and 17, second gear train system 550 includessecond input drive shaft 526 a, and a second input drive shaft spur gear552 a keyed to second input drive shaft 526 a. Second gear train system550 also includes a first transmission shaft 554 rotatably supported intransmission housing 512, a first input transmission spur gear 554 akeyed to first transmission shaft 554 and engaged with second inputdrive shaft spur gear 552 a, and a first output transmission spur gear554 b keyed to first transmission shaft 554.

Second gear train system 550 further includes a second transmissionshaft 556 rotatably supported in transmission housing 512, a secondinput transmission spur gear 556 a keyed to second transmission shaft556 and engaged with first output transmission spur gear 554 b that iskeyed to first transmission shaft 554, and a second output transmissionspur gear 556 b keyed to second transmission shaft 556.

Second gear train system 550 additionally includes a second output driveshaft 558 a rotatably supported in transmission housing 512 and tubularbody 510, and a second output drive shaft spur gear 558 b keyed tosecond output drive shaft 558 a and engaged with second outputtransmission spur gear 556 b.

In at least one instance, the second input drive shaft spur gear 552 aincludes 10 teeth; first input transmission spur gear 554 a includes 20teeth; first output transmission spur gear 554 b includes 10 teeth;second input transmission spur gear 556 a includes 20 teeth; secondoutput transmission spur gear 556 b includes 10 teeth; and second outputdrive shaft spur gear 558 b includes 15 teeth. As so configured, aninput rotation of second input drive shaft 526 a is converted to anoutput rotation of second output drive shaft 558 a by a ratio of 1:6.

In operation, as second input drive shaft spur gear 552 a is rotated,due to a rotation of second connector sleeve 560 and second input driveshaft 526 a, as a result of the rotation of the second respective driveconnector 120 of surgical instrument 100, second input drive shaft spurgear 552 a engages first input transmission spur gear 554 a causingfirst input transmission spur gear 554 a to rotate. As first inputtransmission spur gear 554 a rotates, first transmission shaft 554 isrotated and thus causes first output transmission spur gear 554 b, thatis keyed to first transmission shaft 554, to rotate. As first outputtransmission spur gear 554 b rotates, since second input transmissionspur gear 556 a is engaged therewith, second input transmission spurgear 556 a is also rotated. As second input transmission spur gear 556 arotates, second transmission shaft 256 is rotated and thus causes secondoutput transmission spur gear 256 b, that is keyed to secondtransmission shaft 556, to rotate. As second output transmission spurgear 556 b rotates, since second output drive shaft spur gear 558 b isengaged therewith, second output drive shaft spur gear 558 b is rotated.As second output drive shaft spur gear 558 b rotates, since secondoutput drive shaft spur gear 558 b is keyed to second output drive shaft558 a, second output drive shaft 558 a is rotated.

The shaft assembly 500, including second gear train system 550,functions to transmit operative forces from surgical instrument 100 toend effector 501 in order rotate shaft assembly 500 and/or end effector501 relative to surgical instrument 100.

As illustrated in FIGS. 15 and 18, the transmission housing 512 andshaft coupling assembly 514 rotatably support a third drive shaft 528.Third drive shaft 528 includes a proximal end 528 a configured tosupport third connector sleeve 522, and a distal end 528 b extending toand operatively connected to an articulation assembly 570.

As illustrated in FIG. 14, elongate, outer tubular body 510 of shaftassembly 500 includes a first half section 511 a and a second halfsection 511 b defining at least three longitudinally extending channelsthrough outer tubular body 510 when half sections 511 a, 511 b are matedwith one another. The channels are configured and dimensioned torotatably receive and support first output drive shaft 546 a, secondoutput drive shaft 558 a, and third drive shaft 528 as first outputdrive shaft 546 a, second output drive shaft 558 a, and third driveshaft 528 extend from transmission housing 512 to articulating neckassembly 530. Each of first output drive shaft 546 a, second outputdrive shaft 558 a, and third drive shaft 528 are elongate andsufficiently rigid to transmit rotational forces from transmissionhousing 520 to articulating neck assembly 530.

Turning to FIG. 14, the shaft assembly 500 further includes anarticulating neck assembly 530. The articulating neck assembly 530includes a proximal neck housing 532, a plurality of links 534 connectedto and extending in series from proximal neck housing 532; and a distalneck housing 536 connected to and extending from a distal-most link ofthe plurality of links 534. It is contemplated that, in any of theaspects disclosed herein, that the shaft assembly may have a single linkor pivot member for allowing the articulation of the end effector. It iscontemplated that, in any of the aspects disclosed herein, that thedistal neck housing can be incorporated with the distal most link.

The entire disclosures of:

U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0110453, filed Oct. 23,2012, and titled SURGICAL INSTRUMENT WITH RAPID POST EVENT DETECTION;

U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0282052, filed Jun. 19,2013, and titled APPARATUS FOR ENDOSCOPIC PROCEDURES; and

U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0274722, filed May 10,2013, and titled APPARATUS FOR ENDOSCOPIC PROCEDURES, are herebyincorporated by reference herein.

Referring to FIGS. 19-20, a surgical instrument 10 is depicted. Thesurgical instrument 10 is similar in many respects to the surgicalinstrument 100. For example, the surgical instrument 10 is configuredfor selective connection with the end effector or single use loadingunit or reload 300 via the adapter 200. Also, the surgical instrument 10includes a handle housing 102 that includes a lower housing portion 104,an intermediate housing portion 106, and an upper housing portion 108.

Like the surgical instrument 100, the surgical instrument 10 includes adrive mechanism 160 which is configured to drive shafts and/or gearcomponents in order to perform the various operations of surgicalinstrument 10. In at least one instance, the drive mechanism 160includes a rotation drivetrain 12 (See FIG. 20) configured to rotate endeffector 300 about a longitudinal axis “X” (see FIG. 2) relative tohandle housing 102. The drive mechanism 160 further includes a closuredrivetrain 14 (See FIG. 20) configured to move the anvil assembly 306relative to the cartridge assembly 308 of the end effector 300 tocapture tissue therebetween. In addition, the drive mechanism 160includes a firing drivetrain 16 (See FIG. 20) configured to fire astapling and cutting cartridge within the cartridge assembly 308 of theend effector 300.

As described above, referring primarily to FIGS. 7, 8, and 20, the drivemechanism 160 includes a selector gearbox assembly 162 that can belocated immediately proximal relative to adapter 200. Proximal to theselector gearbox assembly 162 is the function selection module 163 whichincludes the first motor 164 that functions to selectively move gearelements within the selector gearbox assembly 162 to selectivelyposition one of the drivetrains 12, 14, and 16 into engagement with theinput drive component 165 of the second motor 166.

Referring to FIG. 20, the motors 164 and 166 are coupled to motorcontrol circuits 18 and 18′, respectively, which are configured tocontrol the operation of the motors 164 and 66 including the flow ofelectrical energy from a power source 156 to the motors 164 and 166. Thepower source 156 may be a DC battery (e.g., rechargeable lead-based,nickel-based, lithium-ion based, battery etc.), an AC/DC transformer, orany other power source suitable for providing electrical energy to thesurgical instrument 10.

The surgical instrument 10 further includes a microcontroller 20(“controller”). In certain instances, the controller 20 may include amicroprocessor 36 (“processor”) and one or more computer readablemediums or memory units 38 (“memory”). In certain instances, the memory38 may store various program instructions, which when executed may causethe processor 36 to perform a plurality of functions and/or calculationsdescribed herein. The power source 156 can be configured to supply powerto the controller 20, for example.

The processor 36 can be in communication with the motor control circuit18. In addition, the memory 38 may store program instructions, whichwhen executed by the processor 36 in response to a user input 34, maycause the motor control circuit 18 to motivate the motor 164 to generateat least one rotational motion to selectively move gear elements withinthe selector gearbox assembly 162 to selectively position one of thedrivetrains 12, 14, and 16 into engagement with the input drivecomponent 165 of the second motor 166. Furthermore, the processor 36 canbe in communication with the motor control circuit 18′. The memory 38may also store program instructions, which when executed by theprocessor 36 in response to a user input 34, may cause the motor controlcircuit 18′ to motivate the motor 166 to generate at least onerotational motion to drive the drivetrain engaged with the input drivecomponent 165 of the second motor 166, for example.

The controller 20 and/or other controllers of the present disclosure maybe implemented using integrated and/or discrete hardware elements,software elements, and/or a combination of both. Examples of integratedhardware elements may include processors, microprocessors,microcontrollers, integrated circuits, ASICs, PLDs, DSPs, FPGAs, logicgates, registers, semiconductor devices, chips, microchips, chip sets,microcontrollers, SoC, and/or SIP. Examples of discrete hardwareelements may include circuits and/or circuit elements such as logicgates, field effect transistors, bipolar transistors, resistors,capacitors, inductors, and/or relays. In certain instances, thecontroller 20 may include a hybrid circuit comprising discrete andintegrated circuit elements or components on one or more substrates, forexample.

In certain instances, the controller 20 and/or other controllers of thepresent disclosure may be an LM 4F230H5QR, available from TexasInstruments, for example. In certain instances, the Texas InstrumentsLM4F230H5QR is an ARM Cortex-M4F Processor Core comprising on-chipmemory of 256 KB single-cycle flash memory, or other non-volatilememory, up to 40 MHz, a prefetch buffer to improve performance above 40MHz, a 32 KB single-cycle SRAM, internal ROM loaded with StellarisWare®software, 2 KB EEPROM, one or more PWM modules, one or more QEI analog,one or more 12-bit ADC with 12 analog input channels, among otherfeatures that are readily available. Other microcontrollers may bereadily substituted for use with the present disclosure. Accordingly,the present disclosure should not be limited in this context.

In various instances, one or more of the various steps described hereincan be performed by a finite state machine comprising either acombinational logic circuit or a sequential logic circuit, where eitherthe combinational logic circuit or the sequential logic circuit iscoupled to at least one memory circuit. The at least one memory circuitstores a current state of the finite state machine. The combinational orsequential logic circuit is configured to cause the finite state machineto the steps. The sequential logic circuit may be synchronous orasynchronous. In other instances, one or more of the various stepsdescribed herein can be performed by a circuit that includes acombination of the processor 36 and the finite state machine, forexample.

In various instances, it can be advantageous to be able to assess thestate of the functionality of a surgical instrument to ensure its properfunction. It is possible, for example, for the drive mechanism, asexplained above, which is configured to include various motors,drivetrains, and/or gear components in order to perform the variousoperations of the surgical instrument 10, to wear out over time. Thiscan occur through normal use, and in some instances the drive mechanismcan wear out faster due to abuse conditions. In certain instances, asurgical instrument 10 can be configured to perform self-assessments todetermine the state, e.g. health, of the drive mechanism and it variouscomponents.

For example, the self-assessment can be used to determine when thesurgical instrument 10 is capable of performing its function before are-sterilization or when some of the components should be replacedand/or repaired. Assessment of the drive mechanism and its components,including but not limited to the rotation drivetrain 12, the closuredrivetrain 14, and/or the firing drivetrain 16, can be accomplished in avariety of ways. The magnitude of deviation from a predicted performancecan be used to determine the likelihood of a sensed failure and theseverity of such failure. Several metrics can be used including:Periodic analysis of repeatably predictable events, Peaks or drops thatexceed an expected threshold, and width of the failure.

In various instances, a signature waveform of a properly functioningdrive mechanism or one or more of its components can be employed toassess the state of the drive mechanism or the one or more of itscomponents. One or more vibration sensors can be arranged with respectto a properly functioning drive mechanism or one or more of itscomponents to record various vibrations that occur during operation ofthe properly functioning drive mechanism or the one or more of itscomponents. The recorded vibrations can be employed to create thesignature waveform. Future waveforms can be compared against thesignature waveform to assess the state of the drive mechanism and itscomponents.

In at least one aspect, the principles of acoustics can be employed toassess the state of the drive mechanism and its components. As usedherein, the term acoustics refers generally to all mechanical waves ingases, liquids, and solids including vibration, sound, ultrasound (soundwaves with frequencies higher than the upper audible limit of humanhearing), and infrasound (low-frequency sound, lower in frequency than20 Hz [hertz] or cycles per second, hence lower than the “normal” limitof human hearing). Accordingly, acoustic emissions from the drivemechanism and its components may be detected with acoustic sensorsincluding vibration, sound, ultrasound, and infrasound sensors. In oneaspect, the vibratory frequency signature of a drive mechanism 160 canbe analyzed to determine the state of one or more of the drivetrains 12,14, and/or 16. One or more vibration sensors can be coupled to one ormore of the drivetrains 12, 14, and/or 16 in order to record theacoustic output of the drivetrains when in use.

Referring again to FIG. 20, the surgical instrument 10 includes adrivetrain failure detection module 40 configured to record and analyzeone or more acoustic outputs of one or more of the drivetrains 12, 14,and/or 16. The processor 36 can be in communication with or otherwisecontrol the module 40. As described below in greater detail, the module40 can be embodied as various means, such as circuitry, hardware, acomputer program product comprising a computer readable medium (forexample, the memory 38) storing computer readable program instructionsthat are executable by a processing device (for example, the processor36), or some combination thereof. In some aspects, the processor 36 caninclude, or otherwise control the module 40.

The module 40 may include one or more sensors 42 can be employed by themodule 40 to detect drivetrain failures of the surgical instrument 10.In at least one instance, as illustrated in FIG. 21, the sensors 42 maycomprise one or more acoustic sensors or microphones, for example. In atleast one instance, as illustrated in FIG. 24, the sensors 42 maycomprise one or more accelerometers.

Various types of filters and transforms can be used on the output of asensor 42 to generate a waveform that represents the operational stateof a drivetrain, for example, of the surgical instrument 10. Asillustrated in FIG. 21, a plurality of Band-pass filters can beconfigured to communicate with a sensor 42 in order to process an outputthereof. In the example shown in FIG. 21, there are four Band-passfilters, BPF1, BPF2, BPF3, and BPF4, used to filter the output of thesensor 42. These filters are used to determine the various thresholdsused to assess the health of a surgical instrument 10, includingacceptable limits, marginal limits, and critical limits, for example. Inone example, a series of low pass filters as illustrated in FIG. 24 canbe used on the output of the sensor 42.

In one aspect, as illustrated in FIG. 21, logic gates can be employedwith the filters to process the output of the sensors 42. Alternatively,a processor such as, for example, the processor 36 can be employed withthe filters to process the output of the sensors 42, as illustrated inFIGS. 24 and 24A. FIGS. 24B, 24C, and 24D depict an example structureand operational details of a Band-pass filter used to filter the outputof the sensor 42. In at least one instance, one or more of the filtersemployed in filtering the output the sensor 42 is a Dual Low-NoiseJFET-Input General-Purpose Operational Amplifier.

While various frequencies can be used, the exemplary frequencies of thefilters shown in FIG. 21 are 5 kHz, 1 kHz, 200 Hz, and 50 Hz. The outputof each filter is shown in FIG. 25, which illustrates the voltageamplitude at the frequency of each filter. The peak amplitude of theoutput of each filter is shown in FIG. 26. These values can be used todetermine the health of the surgical instrument 10 by comparison againstthreshold values stored in the memory 38, for example. As illustrated inFIG. 24, a multiplexer 44 and an analogue to digital converter 46 can beemployed to communicate the output of the filters to the processor 36.

In at least one instance, an output of a sensor 42 can be recorded whena motor is running during a known function having repeatable movement.For example, the output can be recorded when the motor 166 is running toretract or reset a drivetrain such as, for example the firing drivetrain16 to an original or starting position. The recorded output of thesensor 42 can be used to develop a signature waveform of that movement.In one example, the recorded output of the sensor 42 is run through afast Fourier transform to develop the signature waveform.

Further to the above, the amplitude of key regions of the resultingsignature waveform can be compared to predetermined values stored in thememory 38, for example. In at least one instance, the memory 38 mayinclude program instructions which, when executed by the processor 36,may cause the processor 36 to compare the amplitudes of the key regionsto the predetermined values stored in the memory 38. When the amplitudesexceed those stored values, the processor 36 determines that one or morecomponents of the surgical instrument 10 is no longer functioningproperly and/or that the surgical instrument 10 has reached the end ofits usable life.

FIG. 22 illustrates a vibratory response from a drivetrain that isfunctioning properly. The output in volts from a microphone that ispositioned on or in close proximity to the drivetrain is recorded overtime. The frequency response of that output is determined using a fastFourier transform, as shown in FIG. 22A, to develop a signature waveformfor a properly functioning drivetrain. The signature waveform of theproperly functioning drivetrain can be employed to detect anymalfunction in the same drivetrain or other similar drivetrains. Forexample, FIG. 23 illustrates a vibratory response from a drivetrain thatis not functioning properly. The microphone output is used to determinethe frequency response of the malfunctioning drivetrain, as illustratedin FIG. 23A. The deviation of the frequency response of themalfunctioning drivetrain from the signature waveform of the properlyfunctioning drivetrain indicates a malfunction in the drivetrain.

In at least one instance, stored values of key regions of a frequencyresponse of a properly functioning drivetrain, as shown in FIG. 22A, arecompared against recorded values of corresponding regions of a frequencyresponse of an examined drivetrain, as shown in FIG. 23A. In the eventthe stored values are exceeded by the recorded values, it can beconcluded that a malfunction is detected in the examined drivetrain. Inresponse, various safety and remedial steps can be taken as described ingreater detail in commonly owned U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/984,525, titled MECHANISMS FOR COMPENSATING FOR DRIVETRAIN FAILURE INPOWERED SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS, and filed Dec. 30, 2015, which isincorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

There can be various stages of operation of the surgical instrument 10as the components are moved to effect a function at an end effector ofthe surgical instrument 10 such as, for example capturing tissue, firingstaples into the captured tissue, and/or cutting the captured tissue.The vibrations generated by the drive mechanism 160 of the surgicalinstrument 10 can vary depending on the stage of operation of thesurgical instrument 10. Certain vibrations can be uniquely associatedwith certain stages of operation of the surgical instrument 10.Accordingly, taking into consideration the stage or zone of operation ofthe surgical instrument 10 allows for selectively analyzing thevibrations that are associated with that stage or zone of operationwhile ignoring other vibrations that are not relevant to that stage orzone of operation. Various sensors such as, for example, positionsensors can be employed by the processor 36 to determine the stage ofoperation of the surgical instrument 10.

In one example, various stages of operation of the instrument 10 arerepresented in the graph of FIG. 27, which illustrates the force neededto fire (FTF) the surgical instrument 10 in relation to a displacementposition of the drive assembly 360 from a starting or original positionduring a firing sequence or stroke of the surgical instrument 10. Inzone 1, an end effector 300 of the surgical instrument 10 has clampedonto tissue, as described above, but has not affected the tissue. Inzone 2, a load is being applied to move an actuation sled of thesurgical instrument 10 to allow the end effector 300 to affect thetissue by, for example, cutting and stapling the tissue. In zone 3, thetissue has been cut and stapled by the end effector 300 of the surgicalinstrument 10. Depending on which zone the surgical instrument 10 is induring capture and processing of the vibrations made by the variousdrivetrains, the vibrations can either be compared to thresholdfrequency values or can be disregarded or not considered. For vibrationscaptured by a sensor 42 in block 48 and block 50 of FIG. 27, certainportions of the captured vibrations can be disregarded or not consideredfor the purposes of determining the health of the surgical instrument10.

In at least one instance, any vibrations captured below the thresholdline 52 can be disregarded or not considered. In at least one instance,the ratio of the minimum threshold 52 to a maximum FTF during a firingsequence or stroke of the surgical instrument 10 is any value selectedfrom a range of about 0.001 to about 0.30, for example. In at least oneinstance, the ratio is any value selected from a range of about 0.01 toabout 0.20, for example. In at least one instance, the ratio is anyvalue selected from a range of about 0.01 to about 0.10, for example.

In addition, any vibrations captured within the block 48 and block 50can also be disregarded or not considered as long as the events withinthose blocks are not a catastrophic event. In the event of acatastrophic failure, a drive mechanism 160 is rendered inoperable, andcertain bailout steps are taken to ensure, among other things, a safedetachment of the surgical instrument 10 from the tissue being treated.Alternatively, In the event of an acute drivetrain failure, thedrivetrain may still be operated to complete a surgical step or to resetthe surgical instrument 10; however, certain precautionary and/or safetysteps can be taken to avoid or minimize additional damage to thedrivetrain and/or other components of the surgical instrument 10.

Referring again to FIG. 27, in at least one instance, vibrationsdetected at the beginning and/or the end of the firing stroke of thesurgical instrument 10 are disregarded or not considered for thepurposes of assessing a damage/function status of the surgicalinstrument 10. In one example, only vibrations detected at a centralsegment of the firing stroke of the surgical instrument 10 areconsidered for the purposes of assessing a damage/function status of thesurgical instrument 10. In at least one instance, vibrations detected atthe beginning of zone 1 and/or at the end of zone 2 of the firing strokeof the surgical instrument 10, as illustrated in FIG. 27, aredisregarded or not considered for the purposes of assessing adamage/function status of the surgical instrument 10.

A limited increase in noise could indicate increased wear or anon-catastrophic failure of parts of the gears, for example. Asignificant increase in the magnitude of the noise in chronic fashioncould indicate continuing erosion of the transmission but could be usedto predict the life of the instrument 10 and it performance degradationallowing the completion of certain jobs, for example. An acute dramaticincrease in magnitude or number of peaks could indicate a substantial orcatastrophic failure causing the instrument to initiate more immediateand final reaction options, for example.

FIG. 28 illustrates the velocity of the drive assembly 360 of thesurgical instrument 10 in relation to a displacement position of thedrive assembly 360 from a starting or original position. Point A, shownin FIGS. 27 and 28, represents an initial contact with tissue,increasing the force to advance the drive assembly 360 of the surgicalinstrument 10, as shown in FIG. 27, and decreasing the velocity of driveassembly 360, as shown in FIG. 28. Point B, also shown in FIGS. 27 and28, represents a contact with the thickest portion of the tissue duringthe stapling and cutting. Accordingly, the FTF at point B is at maximum,as shown in FIG. 27, and the velocity at point B is at its lowest point,as shown in FIG. 28. One or more sensors such as, for example, forcesensors can be configured to measure the FTF as the drive assembly 360is advanced. In addition, one or more position sensors can be configuredto detect the position of the drive assembly 360 during a firingsequence of the surgical instrument 10.

In at least one instance, the memory 38 includes program instructionswhich, when executed by the processor 36, causes the processor 36 toemploy one or more sensors 42 positioned near one or more components ofthe drive mechanism 160 of the surgical instrument 10 to selectivelycapture or record vibrations generated by the one or more components ofthe drive mechanism 160 during a predetermined section of the firingsequence. In at least one instance, the sensors 42 are activated by theprocessor 36 at a starting point of the predetermined section anddeactivated at an end point of the predetermined section of the firingsequence or stroke so that the sensors 42 may only capture or recordvibrations generated by during the predetermined section.

The predetermined section may have a starting point after the firingsequence is begun and an end point before the firing sequence iscompleted. Said another way, the processor 36 is configured to cause thesensors 42 to only record vibrations at a central section of the firingsequence. As illustrated in FIG. 28, the processor 36 can be configuredto cause the sensors 42 to start capturing or recording vibrationsduring a downward slope of the velocity of the drive assembly 360, andstop recording vibrations during an upward slope of the velocity of thedrive assembly 360. Alternatively, the sensors 42 can be active duringthe entire firing sequence of the surgical instrument 10 while theprocessor 36 ignores or excludes vibrations recorded outside thepredetermined section of the firing sequence or stroke.

FIG. 29 illustrates acceptable limit modifications based on the zone ofthe stroke location. Limit profiles for both zone 1 and zone 2 areshown. The threshold limits for zone 2 are higher than zone 1 due to theload of the tissue on the surgical instrument 10. As the velocity of theinstrument decreases as the instrument moves from zone 1 to zone 2, thepower spectrum will shift down in frequency. As shown in FIG. 30, whichrepresents voltage amplitude versus frequency at various bandwidthrepresented by the filters shown in FIG. 24 for points A and B of FIGS.27 and 28, the frequency lines associated with point B for each filterbandwidth are lower than the frequency lines associated with point A dueto the load on the instrument 10 from the tissue at point B and thevelocity change due to the stroke zone.

Thus, these limits can be used to assess potential damage to thesurgical instrument 10. Using the captured vibrations from the variousdrivetrains of the surgical instrument 10, the vibrations can beprocessed using the processor 36 shown in FIG. 21 to determine when thefrequency of the vibrations is above certain threshold values stored inmemory 38 associated with the processor 36 while taking into account thezone of operation of the surgical instrument 10 during the time of thecapture of the vibrations. When the surgical instrument 10 is determinedto be defective in some way, the instrument 10 can be repaired orreplaced before sterilization or its subsequent use. Various othersafety and/or remedial steps can also be taken.

In another aspect, the magnitude of the noise produced by the surgicalinstrument 10 can be compared to predefined system harmonics to assesspotential damage to the surgical instrument 10, and the severity of thatdamage. As shown in FIG. 31, the output from the sensor 42 from one ormore drivetrains of the surgical instrument 10 is presented as a voltagesignal for zone 1, for example. Each frequency, as captured during theprocessing of the signal through the filters, such as those shown inFIG. 24, can have its own threshold profile.

For example, as shown in FIG. 31, each frequency may have its ownacceptable limit 54, marginal limit 56, and critical limit 58 for eachzone of operation of the surgical instrument 10. Based on the exampleshown in FIG. 31, all the frequencies are acceptable and represent aproperly functioning surgical instrument 10 except for the frequencyrepresented by A′. In at least one instance, this causes a processor,such as the processor 36 shown in FIG. 24, to conclude that an acute butnot catastrophic drivetrain failure had occurred.

Further to the above, in at least one instance, the processor 36 isconfigured to conclude that a catastrophic drivetrain failure hadoccurred when any one frequency is equal to or exceeds the criticallimit 58. Alternatively, the processor 36 may be configured to concludethat a catastrophic drivetrain failure had occurred only when aplurality of frequencies is equal to or exceeds the critical limit 58,for example. Alternatively, the processor 36 may be configured toconclude that a catastrophic drivetrain failure had occurred only whenall frequencies, as captured during the processing of the signal throughthe filters, are equal to or exceed the critical limit 58, for example.

Further to the above, in at least one instance, the processor 36 isconfigured to conclude that an acute drivetrain failure had occurredwhen any one frequency is equal to or exceeds the marginal limit 56 butis below the critical limit 58, as illustrated in FIG. 31.Alternatively, the processor 36 may be configured to conclude that anacute drivetrain failure had occurred only when a plurality offrequencies is equal to or exceeds the marginal limit 56 but below thecritical limit 58, for example. Alternatively, the processor 36 may beconfigured to conclude that an acute drivetrain failure had occurredonly when all frequencies, as captured during the processing of thesignal through the filters, are equal to or exceed the marginal limit 56but below the critical limit 58, for example.

Referring to FIG. 32, a logic diagram 21 represents possible operationsthat can be implemented by the surgical instrument 10 in response todetected drivetrain failures. The memory 38 may include programinstructions, which when executed by the processor 36, may cause theprocessor 36 to assess the severity of a drivetrain failure based oninput from the sensors 42, and activate appropriate responses dependingon the determined severity. The memory 38 may include programinstructions, which when executed by the processor 36, may cause theprocessor 36 to respond to a detected 23 acute drivetrain failure byactivating a safe mode 22 of operation, for example. In addition, thememory 38 may include program instructions, which when executed by theprocessor 36, may cause the processor 36 to respond to a detectedcatastrophic drivetrain failure by activating a recovery or bailout mode22. When no drivetrain failures are detected, the processor 36 maypermit the surgical instrument 10 to continue 27 with normal operationsuntil a drivetrain failure is detected.

Referring again to FIG. 32, the safe mode 22 may comprise one or moresteps such as, for example, a motor modulation step which can beemployed by the processor 36 to limit the speed of an active drivetrain.For example, when the firing drivetrain 16 is being actively driven bythe motor 166 during a firing sequence, a detection of an acutedrivetrain failure by the module 40 may cause the processor 36 tocommunicate to the motor drive circuit 18′ (FIG. 20) instructions tocause the mechanical output of the motor 166 to be reduced. A reductionin the mechanical output of the motor 166 reduces the speed of theactive drivetrain 16 which ensures safe completion of the firingsequence and/or resetting of the active drivetrain 16 to an original orstarting position.

In another aspect, a frequency comparison of a cumulative magnitude ofnoise with respect to a predetermined minimum and/or maximum thresholdis used to assess potential damage to the surgical instrument 10. In atleast one instance, a minimum threshold defines an acceptable limit 54.A cumulative magnitude of noise that is below the minimum threshold isconstrued by the processor 36 as an acceptable limit 54. In addition, amaximum threshold can be employed to define a critical limit 58. Acumulative magnitude of noise that is above the minimum threshold isconstrued by the processor 36 as a critical limit 58. A marginal limit56 can be defined by the minimum and maximum thresholds. In one example,a cumulative magnitude of noise that is above the minimum threshold butbelow the maximum threshold is construed by the processor 36 as amarginal limit 56.

FIG. 33 is a representation of a processed signal of the output of asensor 42 that was filtered by four Band-pass filters, BPF1, BPF2, BPF3,and BPF4. The processed signal is represented within frequencybandwidths a₁, a₂, a₃, and a₄ that correspond to the bandwidths of thefour Band-pass filters, BPF1, BPF2, BPF3, and BPF4.

FIG. 33 illustrates a graph of voltage amplitude versus frequency of theprocessed signal. The peal voltage amplitudes of the processed signal atthe center frequencies of the Band-pass filters, BPF1, BPF2, BPF3, andBPF4 are represented by solid vertical lines A, A′, A″, and A′″,respectively. In addition, a baseline threshold value 60 is used toallow for a predictable amount of noise to be disregarded or notconsidered. Additional noise can be either taken into consideration ordisregarded depending on where it falls in the frequency spectrum.

In the example illustrated in FIG. 33, the voltage amplitude Z2 isdiscounted as it is below the baseline threshold value 60 thatrepresented an acceptable level of noise, and Z4 is discounted as itfalls outside the predetermined bandwidths a₁, a₂, a₃, and a₄. As Z, Z1,and Z3 fall above the baseline threshold value 60 and are within thepredetermined bandwidths a1, a2, a3, and a4, these voltage amplitudesare considered with A, A′, A″, and A′″ in defining the cumulativemagnitude of noise and, in turn, determining the potential damage to theinstrument 10.

In at least one instance, the Voltage amplitude values at the centerfrequencies A, A′, A″, and A′″ are summed to generate the cumulativemagnitude of noise, as represented by voltage amplitude, that is thenemployed to assess whether a failure had occurred, and when so, theseverity of that failure. In another instance, the Voltage amplitudevalues at the center frequencies A, A′, A″, and A′″ and any voltageamplitude within the predetermined bandwidths a1, a2, a3, and a4 aresummed to generate the cumulative magnitude of noise, as represented byvoltage amplitude, that is then employed to assess whether a failure hadoccurred, and when so, the severity of that failure. In anotherinstance, the Voltage amplitude values at the center frequencies A, A′,A″, and A′″ and any voltage amplitude values greater than the baselinethreshold value 60 and within the predetermined bandwidths a1, a2, a3,and a4 are summed to generate the cumulative magnitude of noise, asrepresented by voltage amplitude, that is then employed to assesswhether a failure had occurred, and when so, the severity of thatfailure.

In various instances, a comparison between a present noise signal and apreviously recorded noise signal, which may be stored in the memory 38,can be employed by the processor 36 to determine a damage/functionstatus of the surgical instrument 10. A noise signal that is recorded bythe sensor 42 during a normal operation of the surgical instrument 10can be filtered and processed by the processor 36 to generate normalprocessed signal that is stored in the memory 38. Any new noise signalrecorded by the sensor 42 can be filtered and processed in the samemanner as the normal noise signal to generate a present processed signalwhich can be compared to normal processed signal stored in the memory38.

A deviation between the present processed signature and the normalprocessed signal beyond a predetermined threshold can be construed aspotential damage to the surgical instrument 10. The normal processedsignal can be set the first time the instrument is used, for example.Alternatively, a present processed signal becomes the normal processedsignal against the next present processed signal.

FIG. 34 is a representation of two processed signals of the output of asensor 42 that was filtered by four Band-pass filters, BPF1, BPF2, BPF3,and BPF4. The processed signals are represented within frequencybandwidths a₁, a₂, a₃, and a₄ that correspond to the bandwidths of thefour Band-pass filters, BPF1, BPF2, BPF3, and BPF4. FIG. 34 illustratesa graph of voltage amplitude versus frequency of the processed signal.

The voltage amplitudes of the normal and present processed signals arerepresented by solid vertical lines. The normal processed signal is inthe solid lines while the present processed signal is in the dashedlines represents a present/current processed signal, as described above.There is a baseline threshold value 60 that is used to allow for apredictable amount of noise to be disregarded, similar to the baselinethreshold 60 of FIG. 33. The difference between the two iterations arecalculated and shown as δ1, δ2, and δ3 in FIG. 34. There are variousthreshold values that are compared to the various δ values to determinethe damage of the surgical instrument 10, indicating an acceptable δ, amarginal δ, or a critical δ that would indicate the need to replace orrepair the instrument 10.

In at least one instance, one or more voltage amplitudes are compared tocorresponding voltage amplitudes in a previously recorded noise patternto assess any damage of the surgical instrument 10. The differencebetween a present voltage amplitude and a previously-stored voltageamplitude can be compared against one or more predetermined thresholds,which can be stored in the memory 38, to select an output of anacceptable, marginal, or critical status.

In at least one instance, the differences between the present voltageamplitudes and the previously stored voltage amplitudes are summed andcompared to one or more predetermined thresholds stored in the memory38, for example, to select an output of an acceptable, marginal, orcritical status. Magnitude of deviance could be compared range to rangeto indicate shear change in a local event.

In various instances, one or more algorithms, which may be stored in thememory 38, can be employed by the processor 36 to determine adamage/function status of the surgical instrument 10 based on theprocessed signal of the output of the sensor 42. Different noise signalsthat are recorded by the sensor 42 can be construed to representdifferent damage/function statuses of the surgical instrument 10. Duringnormal operation, a normal or expected noise signal is recorded by thesensor 42. When an abnormal noise signal is recorded by the sensor 42,it can be further evaluated by the processor 36, using one or more ofthe algorithms stored in the memory 38, to determine a damage/functionstatus of the surgical instrument 10. The abnormal signal may compriseunique characteristics that can be used to assess the nature of thedamage to the surgical instrument 10. For example, the uniquecharacteristics of the abnormal signal may be indicative of damage to aparticular component of the surgical instrument 10, which can be readilyreplaced.

In certain instances, one or more algorithms are configured to assessnormal wear in one or more components of the surgical instrument 10based on the processed signal of the output of the sensor 42. Normalwear can be detected by identifying a noise signal indicative ofpotential debris, for example. When the debris, as measured by itsrecorded noise signs, reaches or exceeds a predetermined thresholdstored in the memory 38, for example, the processor 36 can be configuredto issue an alert that surgical instrument 10 is nearing the end of itslife or requires maintenance, for example.

Furthermore, one or more algorithms can be configured to determinepotential damage to one or more gear mechanisms such as, for example, aplanet gear mechanism within the drive mechanism 160 based on theprocessed signal of the output of a sensor 42. During normal operation,the planet gear may produce a normal noise signal as recorded by thesensor 42. When the planet gear is damaged due to a broken tooth, forexample, an abnormal noise signal is recorded by the sensor 42. Theabnormal signal may comprise unique characteristics indicative of adamaged planet gear, for example.

FIG. 35 is a representation of a processed signal of the output of asensor 42 that was filtered by four Band-pass filters, BPF1, BPF2, BPF3,and BPF4. The processed signal is represented within frequencybandwidths a₁, a₂, a₃, and a₄ that correspond to the bandwidths of thefour Band-pass filters, BPF1, BPF2, BPF3, and BPF4. Various algorithms,as described above, can be applied to the processed signal of FIG. 35 todetermine a damage/function status of the surgical instrument 10.

Like FIG. 33, FIG. 35 illustrates a graph of voltage amplitude versusfrequency of the processed signal. The voltage amplitudes of theprocessed signal are represented by solid vertical lines. Within each ofthe bandwidths a₁, a₂, a₃, and a₄, the processed signal is evaluatedwithin an expected range defined by an amplitude threshold and asub-bandwidth threshold. Expected ranges E₁, E₂, E₃, and E₄ correspondto the bandwidths a₁, a₂, a₃, and a₄, respectively.

In the example illustrated in FIG. 35, a first event indicative ofpotential planet damage is observed. The observed first event includes aprocessed signal that comprises two voltage amplitude readings that areindicative of potential planet damage. The two voltage amplitudereadings are a first voltage amplitude reading that exceeds the expectedrange E₁ at the center frequency of the bandwidth a₁, and a secondvoltage amplitude reading at a frequency that falls between but outsidethe bandwidths a₁ and a₂. A first algorithm may be configured torecognize the observed event as indicative of potential planet damage.The processor 36 may employ the first algorithm to conclude thatpotential planet damage is detected.

Also, in the example illustrated in FIG. 35, a second event indicativeof a unique potential damage in connection with a hub of the surgicalinstrument 10 is observed. The second event includes a processed signalthat comprises a voltage amplitude reading that falls below the expectedvoltage amplitude threshold at the center frequency of the bandwidth a₂.In addition, the processed signal comprises voltage amplitude readingsZ₁ and Z₂ that exceed the baseline threshold value 60, and are withinthe bandwidth a₂, but fall outside the sub-bandwidth threshold of theExpected range E₂. A second algorithm may be configured to recognize theobserved second event as indicative of a unique potential damage. Theprocessor 36 may employ the second algorithm to conclude that potentialdamage in connection with a hub of the surgical instrument 10 isdetected.

Also, in the example illustrated in FIG. 35, a third event indicative ofpotential debris indicative of wear associated with one or morecomponents of the surgical instrument 10 is observed. The third eventincludes a processed signal that comprises a voltage amplitude readingthat exceeds the expected voltage amplitude threshold at the centerfrequency of the bandwidth a₄. A third algorithm may be configured torecognize the observed third event as indicative of potential debris.The processor 36 may employ the third algorithm to evaluate the severityof the potential debris based on the difference between the observedvoltage amplitude and the expected voltage amplitude threshold, forexample.

While various details have been set forth in the foregoing description,it will be appreciated that the various aspects of the mechanisms forcompensating for drivetrain failure in powered surgical instruments maybe practiced without these specific details. For example, forconciseness and clarity selected aspects have been shown in blockdiagram form rather than in detail. Some portions of the detaileddescriptions provided herein may be presented in terms of instructionsthat operate on data that is stored in a computer memory. Suchdescriptions and representations are used by those skilled in the art todescribe and convey the substance of their work to others skilled in theart. In general, an algorithm refers to a self-consistent sequence ofsteps leading to a desired result, where a “step” refers to amanipulation of physical quantities which may, though need notnecessarily, take the form of electrical or magnetic signals capable ofbeing stored, transferred, combined, compared, and otherwisemanipulated. It is common usage to refer to these signals as bits,values, elements, symbols, characters, terms, numbers, or the like.These and similar terms may be associated with the appropriate physicalquantities and are merely convenient labels applied to these quantities.

Unless specifically stated otherwise as apparent from the foregoingdiscussion, it is appreciated that, throughout the foregoingdescription, discussions using terms such as “processing” or “computing”or “calculating” or “determining” or “displaying” or the like, refer tothe action and processes of a computer system, or similar electroniccomputing device, that manipulates and transforms data represented asphysical (electronic) quantities within the computer system's registersand memories into other data similarly represented as physicalquantities within the computer system memories or registers or othersuch information storage, transmission or display devices.

It is worthy to note that any reference to “one aspect” or “an aspect,”means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic describedin connection with the aspect is included in at least one aspect. Thus,appearances of the phrases “in one aspect” or “in an aspect” in variousplaces throughout the specification are not necessarily all referring tothe same aspect. Furthermore, the particular features, structures orcharacteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or moreaspects.

Although various aspects have been described herein, many modifications,variations, substitutions, changes, and equivalents to those aspects maybe implemented and will occur to those skilled in the art. Also, wherematerials are disclosed for certain components, other materials may beused. It is therefore to be understood that the foregoing descriptionand the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications andvariations as falling within the scope of the disclosed aspects. Thefollowing claims are intended to cover all such modification andvariations.

Some or all of the aspects described herein may generally comprisetechnologies for mechanisms for compensating for drivetrain failure inpowered surgical instruments, or otherwise according to technologiesdescribed herein. In a general sense, those skilled in the art willrecognize that the various aspects described herein which can beimplemented, individually and/or collectively, by a wide range ofhardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof can be viewedas being composed of various types of “electrical circuitry.”Consequently, as used herein “electrical circuitry” includes, but is notlimited to, electrical circuitry having at least one discrete electricalcircuit, electrical circuitry having at least one integrated circuit,electrical circuitry having at least one application specific integratedcircuit, electrical circuitry forming a general purpose computing deviceconfigured by a computer program (e.g., a general purpose computerconfigured by a computer program which at least partially carries outprocesses and/or devices described herein, or a microprocessorconfigured by a computer program which at least partially carries outprocesses and/or devices described herein), electrical circuitry forminga memory device (e.g., forms of random access memory), and/or electricalcircuitry forming a communications device (e.g., a modem, communicationsswitch, or optical-electrical equipment). Those having skill in the artwill recognize that the subject matter described herein may beimplemented in an analog or digital fashion or some combination thereof.

The foregoing detailed description has set forth various aspects of thedevices and/or processes via the use of block diagrams, flowcharts,and/or examples. Insofar as such block diagrams, flowcharts, and/orexamples contain one or more functions and/or operations, it will beunderstood by those within the art that each function and/or operationwithin such block diagrams, flowcharts, or examples can be implemented,individually and/or collectively, by a wide range of hardware, software,firmware, or virtually any combination thereof. In one aspect, severalportions of the subject matter described herein may be implemented viaApplication Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), Field ProgrammableGate Arrays (FPGAs), digital signal processors (DSPs), or otherintegrated formats. Those skilled in the art will recognize, however,that some aspects of the aspects disclosed herein, in whole or in part,can be equivalently implemented in integrated circuits, as one or morecomputer programs running on one or more computers (e.g., as one or moreprograms running on one or more computer systems), as one or moreprograms running on one or more processors (e.g., as one or moreprograms running on one or more microprocessors), as firmware, or asvirtually any combination thereof, and that designing the circuitryand/or writing the code for the software and or firmware would be wellwithin the skill of one of skill in the art in light of this disclosure.In addition, those skilled in the art will appreciate that themechanisms of the subject matter described herein are capable of beingdistributed as a program product in a variety of forms, and that anillustrative aspect of the subject matter described herein appliesregardless of the particular type of signal bearing medium used toactually carry out the distribution. Examples of a signal bearing mediuminclude, but are not limited to, the following: a recordable type mediumsuch as a floppy disk, a hard disk drive, a Compact Disc (CD), a DigitalVideo Disk (DVD), a digital tape, a computer memory, etc.; and atransmission type medium such as a digital and/or an analogcommunication medium (e.g., a fiber optic cable, a waveguide, a wiredcommunications link, a wireless communication link (e.g., transmitter,receiver, transmission logic, reception logic, etc.), etc.).

All of the above-mentioned U.S. patents, U.S. patent applicationpublications, U.S. patent applications, foreign patents, foreign patentapplications, non-patent publications referred to in this specificationand/or listed in any Application Data Sheet, or any other disclosurematerial are incorporated herein by reference, to the extent notinconsistent herewith. As such, and to the extent necessary, thedisclosure as explicitly set forth herein supersedes any conflictingmaterial incorporated herein by reference. Any material, or portionthereof, that is said to be incorporated by reference herein, but whichconflicts with existing definitions, statements, or other disclosurematerial set forth herein will only be incorporated to the extent thatno conflict arises between that incorporated material and the existingdisclosure material.

One skilled in the art will recognize that the herein describedcomponents (e.g., operations), devices, objects, and the discussionaccompanying them are used as examples for the sake of conceptualclarity and that various configuration modifications are contemplated.Consequently, as used herein, the specific exemplars set forth and theaccompanying discussion are intended to be representative of their moregeneral classes. In general, use of any specific exemplar is intended tobe representative of its class, and the non-inclusion of specificcomponents (e.g., operations), devices, and objects should not be takenlimiting.

With respect to the use of substantially any plural and/or singularterms herein, those having skill in the art can translate from theplural to the singular and/or from the singular to the plural as isappropriate to the context and/or application. The varioussingular/plural permutations are not expressly set forth herein for sakeof clarity.

The herein described subject matter sometimes illustrates differentcomponents contained within, or connected with, different othercomponents. It is to be understood that such depicted architectures aremerely exemplary, and that in fact many other architectures may beimplemented which achieve the same functionality. In a conceptual sense,any arrangement of components to achieve the same functionality iseffectively “associated” such that the desired functionality isachieved. Hence, any two components herein combined to achieve aparticular functionality can be seen as “associated with” each othersuch that the desired functionality is achieved, irrespective ofarchitectures or intermedial components. Likewise, any two components soassociated can also be viewed as being “operably connected,” or“operably coupled,” to each other to achieve the desired functionality,and any two components capable of being so associated can also be viewedas being “operably couplable,” to each other to achieve the desiredfunctionality. Specific examples of operably couplable include but arenot limited to physically mateable and/or physically interactingcomponents, and/or wirelessly interactable, and/or wirelesslyinteracting components, and/or logically interacting, and/or logicallyinteractable components.

Some aspects may be described using the expression “coupled” and“connected” along with their derivatives. It should be understood thatthese terms are not intended as synonyms for each other. For example,some aspects may be described using the term “connected” to indicatethat two or more elements are in direct physical or electrical contactwith each other. In another example, some aspects may be described usingthe term “coupled” to indicate that two or more elements are in directphysical or electrical contact. The term “coupled,” however, also maymean that two or more elements are not in direct contact with eachother, but yet still co-operate or interact with each other.

In some instances, one or more components may be referred to herein as“configured to,” “configurable to,” “operable/operative to,”“adapted/adaptable,” “able to,” “conformable/conformed to,” etc. Thoseskilled in the art will recognize that “configured to” can generallyencompass active-state components and/or inactive-state componentsand/or standby-state components, unless context requires otherwise.

While particular aspects of the subject matter described herein havebeen shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in theart that, based upon the teachings herein, changes and modifications maybe made without departing from the subject matter described herein andits broader aspects and, therefore, the appended claims are to encompasswithin their scope all such changes and modifications as are within thetrue spirit and scope of the subject matter described herein. It will beunderstood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein,and especially in the appended claims (e.g., bodies of the appendedclaims) are generally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term“including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” theterm “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term“includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limited to,”etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that when aspecific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such anintent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence ofsuch recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid tounderstanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of theintroductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claimrecitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed toimply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinitearticles “a” or “an” limits any particular claim containing suchintroduced claim recitation to claims containing only one suchrecitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases“one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or“an” (e.g., “a” and/or “an” should typically be interpreted to mean “atleast one” or “one or more”); the same holds true for the use ofdefinite articles used to introduce claim recitations.

In addition, even when a specific number of an introduced claimrecitation is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art willrecognize that such recitation should typically be interpreted to meanat least the recited number (e.g., the bare recitation of “tworecitations,” without other modifiers, typically means at least tworecitations, or two or more recitations). Furthermore, in thoseinstances where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, and C,etc.” is used, in general such a construction is intended in the senseone having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “asystem having at least one of A, B, and C” would include but not belimited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and Btogether, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and Ctogether, etc.). In those instances where a convention analogous to “atleast one of A, B, or C, etc.” is used, in general such a constructionis intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understandthe convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, or C” wouldinclude but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, Calone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A,B, and C together, etc.). It will be further understood by those withinthe art that typically a disjunctive word and/or phrase presenting twoor more alternative terms, whether in the description, claims, ordrawings, should be understood to contemplate the possibilities ofincluding one of the terms, either of the terms, or both terms unlesscontext dictates otherwise. For example, the phrase “A or B” will betypically understood to include the possibilities of “A” or “B” or “Aand B.”

With respect to the appended claims, those skilled in the art willappreciate that recited operations therein may generally be performed inany order. Also, although various operational flows are presented in asequence(s), it should be understood that the various operations may beperformed in other orders than those which are illustrated, or may beperformed concurrently. Examples of such alternate orderings may includeoverlapping, interleaved, interrupted, reordered, incremental,preparatory, supplemental, simultaneous, reverse, or other variantorderings, unless context dictates otherwise. Furthermore, terms like“responsive to,” “related to,” or other past-tense adjectives aregenerally not intended to exclude such variants, unless context dictatesotherwise.

In certain cases, use of a system or method may occur in a territoryeven when components are located outside the territory. For example, ina distributed computing context, use of a distributed computing systemmay occur in a territory even though parts of the system may be locatedoutside of the territory (e.g., relay, server, processor, signal-bearingmedium, transmitting computer, receiving computer, etc. located outsidethe territory).

A sale of a system or method may likewise occur in a territory even whencomponents of the system or method are located and/or used outside theterritory. Further, implementation of at least part of a system forperforming a method in one territory does not preclude use of the systemin another territory.

Although various aspects have been described herein, many modifications,variations, substitutions, changes, and equivalents to those aspects maybe implemented and will occur to those skilled in the art. Also, wherematerials are disclosed for certain components, other materials may beused. It is therefore to be understood that the foregoing descriptionand the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications andvariations as falling within the scope of the disclosed aspects. Thefollowing claims are intended to cover all such modification andvariations.

In summary, numerous benefits have been described which result fromemploying the concepts described herein. The foregoing description ofthe one or more aspects has been presented for purposes of illustrationand description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or limiting to theprecise form disclosed. Modifications or variations are possible inlight of the above teachings. The one or more aspects were chosen anddescribed in order to illustrate principles and practical application tothereby enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the variousaspects and with various modifications as are suited to the particularuse contemplated. It is intended that the claims submitted herewithdefine the overall scope.

Various aspects of the subject matter described herein are set out inthe following numbered clauses:

1. An apparatus for affecting tissue, comprising an end effectorconfigured to interact with a tissue; and a surgical instrument,comprising one or more drivetrains configured to drive a plurality ofgear components in order to perform operations of the surgicalinstrument; and one or more vibration sensors positioned relative to theone or more drivetrains of the surgical instrument to sense and recordvibration information from the one or more drivetrains of the surgicalinstrument, wherein the one or more vibration sensors are configured togenerate an output signal based on the vibration information, andwherein the output signal is used to determine a status of the surgicalinstrument.

2. The apparatus of clause 1, further comprising at least one frequencyfilter configured to receive the output signal of the one or morevibration sensors, wherein the at least one frequency filter isconfigured to generate a filtered signal based on the received outputsignal.

3. The apparatus of any one of clauses 1-2, further comprising a memorystoring predetermined threshold values; and a processor in communicationwith the at least one frequency filter.

4. The apparatus of any one of clauses 1-3, wherein the memory includesprogram instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause theprocessor to generate a processed signal based on the filtered signal.

5. The apparatus of any one of clauses 1-4, wherein the memory includesprogram instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause theprocessor to employ a fast Fourier transform to develop the processedsignal.

6. The apparatus of any one of clauses 1-4, wherein the programinstructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor tocompare the predetermined threshold values to corresponding values ofthe processed signal.

7. The apparatus of any one of clauses 1-6, wherein the programinstructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor todetect a malfunction of the surgical instrument when the predeterminedthreshold values are equal to or less than the corresponding values ofthe processed signal.

8. The apparatus of any one of clauses 1-3, wherein the predeterminedthreshold values are generated from a test output signal of the one ormore vibration sensors.

9. The apparatus of any clause 8, wherein the test output signal isbased on test vibration information recorded by the one or morevibration sensors during a testing procedure of the surgical instrument.

10. The apparatus of any one of clauses 1-3, wherein the predeterminedthreshold values are generated from a previously processed signal.

11. A method for assessing performance of a surgical instrumentincluding one or more drivetrains, the method comprising sensing via oneor more vibration sensors vibrations generated during operation of theone or more drivetrains of the surgical instrument; generating an outputsignal based on the sensed vibrations; filtering the output signal togenerate a filtered signal of the vibrations from the one or moredrivetrains; processing the filtered signal to generate a processedsignal of the vibrations from the one or more drivetrains; comparingpredetermined threshold values to corresponding values of the processedsignal; and detecting a malfunction of the surgical instrument when thepredetermined threshold values are equal to or less than thecorresponding values of the processed signal.

12. The method of clause 11, wherein the predetermined threshold valuesare generated from a test output signal.

13. The method of any one of clauses 11-12, wherein the test outputsignal is based on vibrations sensed by the one or more vibrationsensors during a testing procedure of the surgical instrument.

14. The method of any one of clauses 11-13, wherein the predeterminedthreshold values are generated from a previously processed signal.

15. The method of any one of clauses 11-14, wherein processing thefiltered signal comprises using a fast Fourier transform.

16. A surgical stapler, comprising a staple cartridge comprising aplurality of staples deployable into tissue; at least one drivemechanism operable to deploy the plurality of staples into the tissueduring a firing sequence of the surgical stapler; and one or morevibration sensors configured to record vibrations generated by the atleast one drive mechanism, wherein the one or more vibration sensors areconfigured to generate an output signal based on the sensed vibrations,and wherein the output signal is used to determine a status of the atleast one drive mechanism.

17. The surgical stapler of clause 16, further comprising at least onefrequency filter configured to receive the output signal of the one ormore vibration sensors, wherein the at least one frequency filter isconfigured to generate a filtered signal based on the received outputsignal.

18. The surgical stapler of any one of clauses 16-17, further comprisinga memory storing predetermined threshold values; and a processor incommunication with the at least one frequency filter.

19. The surgical stapler of any one of clauses 16-18, wherein the memoryincludes program instructions which, when executed by the processor,cause the processor to generate a processed signal based on the filteredsignal.

20. The surgical stapler of any one of clauses 16-19, wherein the memoryincludes program instructions which, when executed by the processor,cause the processor to employ a fast Fourier transform to develop theprocessed signal.

1. An apparatus for affecting tissue, comprising: an end effectorconfigured to interact with a tissue; and a surgical instrument,comprising: one or more drivetrains configured to drive a plurality ofgear components in order to perform operations of the surgicalinstrument; and one or more vibration sensors positioned relative to theone or more drivetrains of the surgical instrument to sense and recordvibration information from the one or more drivetrains of the surgicalinstrument, wherein the one or more vibration sensors are configured togenerate an output signal based on the vibration information, andwherein the output signal is used to determine a status of the surgicalinstrument.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least onefrequency filter configured to receive the output signal of the one ormore vibration sensors, wherein the at least one frequency filter isconfigured to generate a filtered signal based on the received outputsignal.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising: a memorystoring predetermined threshold values; and a processor in communicationwith the at least one frequency filter.
 4. The apparatus of claim 3,wherein the memory includes program instructions which, when executed bythe processor, cause the processor to generate a processed signal basedon the filtered signal.
 5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the memoryincludes program instructions which, when executed by the processor,cause the processor to employ a fast Fourier transform to develop theprocessed signal.
 6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the programinstructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor tocompare the predetermined threshold values to corresponding values ofthe processed signal.
 7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the programinstructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor todetect a malfunction of the surgical instrument when the predeterminedthreshold values are equal to or less than the corresponding values ofthe processed signal.
 8. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein thepredetermined threshold values are generated from a test output signalof the one or more vibration sensors.
 9. The apparatus of claim 8,wherein the test output signal is based on test vibration informationrecorded by the one or more vibration sensors during a testing procedureof the surgical instrument.
 10. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein thepredetermined threshold values are generated from a previously processedsignal.
 11. A method for assessing performance of a surgical instrumentincluding one or more drivetrains, the method comprising: sensing viaone or more vibration sensors vibrations generated during operation ofthe one or more drivetrains of the surgical instrument; generating anoutput signal based on the sensed vibrations; filtering the outputsignal to generate a filtered signal of the vibrations from the one ormore drivetrains; processing the filtered signal to generate a processedsignal of the vibrations from the one or more drivetrains; comparingpredetermined threshold values to corresponding values of the processedsignal; and detecting a malfunction of the surgical instrument when thepredetermined threshold values are equal to or less than thecorresponding values of the processed signal.
 12. The method of claim11, wherein the predetermined threshold values are generated from a testoutput signal.
 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the test outputsignal is based on vibrations sensed by the one or more vibrationsensors during a testing procedure of the surgical instrument.
 14. Themethod of claim 11, wherein the predetermined threshold values aregenerated from a previously processed signal.
 15. The method of claim11, wherein processing the filtered signal comprises using a fastFourier transform.
 16. A surgical stapler, comprising: a staplecartridge comprising a plurality of staples deployable into tissue; atleast one drive mechanism operable to deploy the plurality of staplesinto the tissue during a firing sequence of the surgical stapler; andone or more vibration sensors configured to record vibrations generatedby the at least one drive mechanism, wherein the one or more vibrationsensors are configured to generate an output signal based on the sensedvibrations, and wherein the output signal is used to determine a statusof the at least one drive mechanism.
 17. The surgical stapler of claim16, further comprising at least one frequency filter configured toreceive the output signal of the one or more vibration sensors, whereinthe at least one frequency filter is configured to generate a filteredsignal based on the received output signal.
 18. The surgical stapler ofclaim 17, further comprising: a memory storing predetermined thresholdvalues; and a processor in communication with the at least one frequencyfilter.
 19. The surgical stapler of claim 18, wherein the memoryincludes program instructions which, when executed by the processor,cause the processor to generate a processed signal based on the filteredsignal.
 20. The surgical stapler of claim 19, wherein the memoryincludes program instructions which, when executed by the processor,cause the processor to employ a fast Fourier transform to develop theprocessed signal.